WizStoryExe
by Jlgjt
Summary: The story of Wizardmon - as told by him. One-sided WizGato, some material taken from blitzkrieg1701's "Be With You  Wizardmon's Song "
1. None an Island

**Jlgjt Presents, A DDLA Special...**

**!**

_Date: _March 1st, 2004

_Time: _9:12 pm

_From: _"Knowledge"

_To: _"All Destined"

_Cc: _"Apprentices"

_Subject: _That file left on my laptop...

Hey everyone! I took sometime to examine the file that was left on my laptop during the recent incident at Fuji TV. The file was initially shown to be an executable program, but after I scanned the data for "Patchmon" the file type changed to a standard movie file type. I can't send a copy of the whole movie to everyone now because doing so would go over the local bandwith limit and shut off Internet access to my family for the whole month, so I made a transcript of the movie's contents and attached it to this message. I do have the original file on a secure backup, and a copy on my laptop which you can freely look at and copy further if anyone so wishes.

I can't vouch for the accuracy of most things in the video and its transcription, but there's little reason to doubt it is not accurate generally if not in total detail. Warning: The video itself is quite emotional, and it shows on the transcript. May want to have some tissues handy. :)

- Izzy

* * *

><p><strong>Opening Transcript File...<strong>

**"" Transcript**

_**by Koshirou "Izzy" Izumi**_

**Abbreviations:**

"CHC" = Chaotic camera (no clear image in the "video")

"CTB" = Cut to black

"FF" = Freezeframe/still image

"FTB" = Fade to black

"TOB" = Text on background, no "video feed"

"WVO" = Wizardmon voiceover

(_Soft, upbeat music begins playing. An image of Patchmon, with a ghostly outline of the original Wizardmon form in the background, fades in._)

**Patchmon/Wizardmon: **"This is the story of my life, as I lived it and I ultimately gave it up for someone I loved more than I ever had before. Now that the prospect of restoration is in serious jeopardy, I felt obliged to leave this record behind so that, regardless of whatever happens to my data pattern, my story will live on."

(_Music stops. figures FTB. TOB appears, reading "No Mon Is An Island...". Text fades, replaced with a background image of a town shrouded in twilight. The town is similar to that of Medieval Europe, and several different kinds of Digimon are seen in the town itself._)

**WVO: **"Even though I was born and raised in Primary Village like all other Digimon are, I called this place home for a long time, before my days of wandering. Witchenly was its name; it was the center of a pocket dimension separated from the rest of the Digital World by a strong magical barrier."

(_The screen cuts to a viewpoint inside the town, with Wizardmon centered in the screen. He is in a vigilant, watchful pose. Several different kinds of Digimon (mostly Bakemon) are conducting business in the background._)

**WVO: **"After I had become fortunate enough to reach the Champion level, I was tasked with maintaining and repairing the barrier. Myself, and one other Digimon."

(_Screen FTB, a figure appears on the screen. This figure vaguely resembles Arukenimon's human disguise, only with a "witch" theme to the clothing. The figure is holding a broomstick, has a cocky, over-confident pose._)

**WVO**: "Witchmon was her name. She was largely my equal in terms of magical ability and responsibility. But she had a disturbing tendency to spend most of her patrols outside the barrier rather than inside it. That's what I think caused the disaster..."

(_Screen changes to that of the town previously shown, only now it is under attack by many Digimon and partly aflame. The inhabitants are scattering everywhere, and the figures of at least two Dark Masters are recognizable leading the attacking army._)

**WVO**: "One day, the barriers came down, without warning and without chance to repair them. The Dark Masters attacked the town... burned it to the ground... I may have been the only one to escape capture..."(_brief pause_) "The last I saw of my long-time home was with Witchmon's evolved form laughing as the buildings burned around her..."

(_Screen shows described scene. The evolved form mentioned is shown in silhouette in front of flames; it is apparently a cat-like Digimon standing on two legs, proportioned like an adult human, with two tails or a split tail. No details can be made out in the video, and the Digimon Analyzer can't give a positive identification of the Digimon._)

**WVO: **"I was traumatized. I never wanted to trust another living soul again. The life I had known had been abruptly taken from me, and the bitterness, the anger, the aching loneliness, all began to make me hard. I traveled constantly, a nomad never stopping to make friends."

(_Screen shows Wizardmon traveling in a desert sandstorm. Music changes to a somber but uplifting melody._)

**WVO: **"One day, I guess I just pushed myself too hard trying to get across a desert or something like that. I fell from the sky, crashed in the middle of a town. Too weak to get back up, and with no one helping me, I was sure I was going to die right at that spot. Then SHE came along..."

(_First "video" sequence begins. Shows Gatomon giving the fallen Wizardmon some water to drink, he passes out, cuts to a nighttime campfire scene with him laying nearby and her watching the fire._)

**Gatomon: **Ah, you're awake.

**Wizardmon: **(_surprised_) Did you save me?

**Gatomon: **(_casually_) I didn't do that much. I couldn't leave you lying there.

**Wizardmon: **(_gets up using his staff_) Well, thanks. I guess I'll be going now.

**Gatomon:** (_stands up_) Don't be silly. You're not strong enough to go.

**Wizardmon**: (_apologetic tone_) I'm sorry, I don't have anything for you.

**Gatomon**: I don't want anything. You must be very lonely to say that.

**Wizardmon**: (_confused_) What do you mean?

**Gatomon**: When you're alone a long time, your heart becomes very hard. It happens to everyone, even me...

(_Freeze on Wizardmon's face, showing some degree of surprise and confusion.)_

**WVO: **This was something that struck me very deeply. Somehow, I had managed to be saved by something of a kindred spirit, another lonely wanderer. It also showed me that if there was goodness here, with her, than surely there was good hidden in all, waiting for just the right circumstances to reveal itself. (_Pause_) After this, I asked her how she was so sure of what she was saying. What she told me was nothing less than shocking, though then I had no idea what it truly meant.

(_"Video" resumes_)

**Gatomon**: My whole life, I just keep waiting and searching, but I never find her.

**Wizardmon**: Who? Who are you searching for?

**Gatomon:** I can't remember, it was too long ago. All I know is I'm waiting for someone.

(_Scene freezes again, this time on an overview of the campfire area._)

**WVO: **When she said those words, the first pity or compassion I ever had for a fellow Digimon in a long time welled up in me. Those words hooked themselves into my mind, refusing to let go or be pulled out. Eventually I did recover enough that I could be on my way again, but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get my benefactor or her hopeless quest out of my mind.

(_Screen changes to Wizardmon looking at a large castle in the distance._)

**WVO:** The burning desire to help her achieve her goal grew hotter within me daily, and soon I entered my own period of "waiting and searching". Working from an offhand observation of the direction of her tracks when she left the campsite, I eventually stumbled across a town, in the domain of Lord Myotismon who's castle overshadowed it. I settled down in that town, opened a stand to sell my magical abilities to anyone willing to pay. All the while, I kept looking and listening for any information on my Gatomon benefactor...

_(Screen FTB. TOB appears, apparently some kind of poetry. Several verses appear and fade in turn; this happens a number of other times later on.)_

**TOB Verse 1: **As I stumbled through the desert / and fell faint in city streets / I was ignored by all who saw me / as they ran to flee the heat / my mouth was dry as embers / and my eyes could barely see / as I was prepared to meet my maker / you came along and rescued me

**TOB Verse 2: **You wouldn't take a thing in return / though I had nothing to give / you didn't ask for any favors / you just wanted me to live / I couldn't understand your reasons / you didn't understand yourself / there was just something that seemed right about it / something just made you help

**TOB Verse 3: **Then you disappeared the next day / they said you'd been taken away / I didn't know how I'd find you / but I went out anyway...


	2. Conscript

**Part 2: Conscript**

(_After last text verse fades, TOB"Conscript" appears, then fades. No music._)

**WVO: **"I don't remember how long I ran that stand. It was just enough business to keep myself fed and pay the bills, but I never found out anything more about that Gatomon that saved me before. And the work was sometimes what you would have called 'dirty'; sometimes I suspect I was just a hired hand to do Myotismon's work for him. The most I ever got from those emissaries was that a Gatomon did live in the area of Myotismon's castle, which meant my hunch was probably correct. But that was as far as it went, no more. _(pause_) And then, just like that (_finger-snap sound)_, she walked into my life again."

**WVO: **"I remember the moment quite clearly even now. The town square was deserted; everyone had either evacuated in fear or stayed in their homes. What little I did hear was that the supposedly legendary DigiDestined were coming to destroy Myotismon and liberate the land, so the town's ne'er-do-wells were hightailing it before they showed up. I did not join them because I had no intention of fighting the DigiDestined myself. That statement may seem somewhat surprising to you hearing this, but there were many instances of your reputation preceding you in this way."

("_Video_" _resumes, showing the empty town square. In his stand, Wizardmon is shown in a bored and somewhat nervous attitude, taking a few glances around looking for any other signs of activity. Suddenly, he becomes transfixed at looking at something in the direction of the _"_camera_"_, squinting to get a better look at something far away. The viewpoint slowly spins around to focus on a small white shape, walking towards the camera. This shape, moving down an otherwise empty street toward the stand, slowly resolves into Gatomon. A brief cut of Wizardmon recoiling in surprise follows, then cut back to the walking Gatomon.)_

**WVO: **"When I first saw her again, I didn't know what I was supposed to think, other than perhaps destiny had a hand in this. As I saw her approach, my heart sank when I realized she didn't recognize me. I had to wonder if this was a different Gatomon approaching now than the one that had rescued me long before."

(_Camera is showing Gatomon walking on two legs with something of a march rhythm, tail erect and unmoving, a serious and determined look on her face. In her right paw is what appears to be a letter. She stops in front of Wizardmon's stand, and stands up on tiptoe in an attempt to give the letter to Wizardmon. The latter freezes, uncertain on how to react.)_

**Gatomon: **(_flat, militaristic tone_) "You've been recruited."

**Wizardmon: **(_totally confused_) "I'm sorry?"

**Gatomon: **(_same tone as before_)"You have been recruited by Lord Myotismon for the purpose of fighting for him against the DigiDestined. The letter will explain more. You must make your decision quickly, for Lord Myotismon has already suffered a reverse against them, and it is only a matter of time before he is attacked again."

(_Wizardmon flashes a confused look, then cautiously takes the letter from Gatomon. The latter assumes an _"_at attention_" _pose a few steps back_,_ waiting for a decision. Wizardmon gives another disbelieving glance, then opens the letter. A red wax seal with a bat-like symbol is visible on the opened flap. Wizardmon pulls out the letter from the envelope and lays the envelope aside. He unfolds the letter, his __expression showing first confusion and then shocked surprise.)_

(_The _"_camera_" _cuts to a shot over Wizardmon's shoulder, looking at the letter. The letter itself is handwritten in red ink, with another red bat-like symbol similar to Myotismon's appearing at the top of the paper. Then there is a cut to Wizardmon silently reading the letter, his face showing a large amount of confusion and surprise as he does so._)

**Myotismon Voice-Over: **"You have been summoned to help participate in the search for 'the Eighth Child'. It is a dangerous task, for you will be facing a group of human kids and Digimon rumored to be the fabled Digi-Destined who will rid this world of evil. However, they are short one human and partner Digimon. If this kid can be destroyed, the Digi-Destined will never be strong enough to save this world or defeat me. Because of the very real threat they pose, I am asking for any and all Digimon that will assist to come assist me in this dangerous undertaking. If you desire to help, please indicate so to the messenger that delivered this notice to you, then come with the messenger to my castle. You must hurry, as the distraction I have set up may not last forever."

(_The presence of Myotismon's voice here was quite scary when I first heard it; I am presuming this was a reading of the contents of the letter that was delivered to Wizardmon. Wizardmon puts the letter down, the internal wrestling with the question shown by his knitting brows._)

**WVO: **"After reading the letter, I was more confused than I was before. Sure, I understood why Myotismon had chosen to recruit me in the first place; I had probably done several jobs for him by proxy before. But I understood nothing else about the situation, particularly why that Gatomon seemed to be in the service of someone as notorious as Lord Myotismon. Again, I wondered if I was dealing with the same Digimon I had met before."

(_Gatomon makes a comment about the need for a quick decision, and after a moment Wizardmon assumes a thoughtful pose._)

**WVO: **"It was obvious the Gatomon wanted a decision as soon as possible, but this kind of decision I couldn't take lightly. If I said yes, I would be involved in direct conflict with the Digi-Destined that could very well lead me to my death. But if I said no, the Gatomon would leave, and I would have no idea who she really was or what her fate would ultimately be. There was a part of me that wanted to say no, that didn't think I should be foolish enough to take arms against the saviors of the Digital World. But there was another part, that got stronger each time I puzzled over the apparent paradox of the Gatomon in front of me. I had so many unanswered questions about her, and if I declined the invitation those questions would never have been answered. After a few moments of internal argument, something in my subconscious kicked in, and I had agreed almost before I knew what I had said!"

**Gatomon: **(_previous tone of voice_) "Good. We must hurry, for Lord Myotismon has already suffered a clear reverse against them. He will need an army against them, and soon."

(_Montage of packing and traveling shots follow under the voice-over._)

**WVO: **"As I went to pack what few possessions I had, I had to wonder if I was going crazy. Part of me certainly thought I was crazy for saying 'yes' to a likely death sentence. But as time went on and I got more and more curious about the Gatomon escorting me to Myotismon's castle, that part of me I listened less and less to. Was it some kind of love or affection? Maybe, maybe not, even now I cannot tell for sure. Was it destiny? In hindsight, the answer would have to be 'yes'."

(_Montage of stills showing Wizardmon being introduced to Myotismon, being shown parts of his castle, and him with other members of Myotismon's army. A number of Digimon can be seen in these shots: DemiDevimon, Pumpkinmon, Gotsumon, Phantomon, SkullMeramon and Nanimon, with numerous Bakemon and Numemon as well. These stills all seem to correspond with the training build up that appeared to have occurred before our infiltration to get into the portal back to Earth._)

**WVO: **"Once introduced and enrolled into Myotismon's army, I was placed into a crash course in military tactics lead by Nanimon. With me were some very interesting characters... and, oh yeah, these two yahoos here."

(_Image of Agumon and Palmon disguised as our "spies". It's probably only in hindsight that Wizardmon was able to make the connection, though it might be he was perceptive enough to see through it back then, but had no point of reference for what the DigiDestined were at the time and thus couldn't "call them out" to Myotismon._)

**WVO: **"Overarching all, though, was my curiosity toward Gatomon. At times, it would be enough to drown out the pain and self-humiliation I was subjecting myself to at that point. It certainly was enough to keep me up at night, as one misguided investigative attempt showed."

(_Video shows part of described attempt: Wizardmon sneaking around the castle corridors, only to run right into a Bakemon guard who alerts several others, restrain a panicking Wizardmon, and bring him to a curious Myotismon. Cut to a stretched-out Wizardmon being whipped in the back by Myotismon in front of the rest of his army, including Gatomon. As the Crimson Lightning attacks connect, Wizardmon winces in pain._)

**WVO:** "I don't know what hurt more, the whipping or the fact that Gatomon seemed not to care about the suffering I was experiencing. That nagging voice of doubt reared up inside again."

(_In the video, Wizardmon is unshackled and tossed aside by Myotismon against a wall, while a number of other Digimon jeer him. There is a cut to Wizardmon's agonized face, then to Gatomon's impassive expression, then to Wizardmon's face again. A few tears can be seen moving down his cheeks._)

(_Screen FTB. More verses of the "poetry" appear and disappear in the same manner as before._)

**TOB Verse 4: **"I found you in the pits of despair/you didn't know me anymore/I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen/your master had claimed you once more/for a moment I turned to leave/that moment still chills my soul/I couldn't leave you in that darkness/I couldn't let it take it's toll."

**TOB Verse 5: **"I will be with you/help you through the night/in this life of wrong/I'll try to make it right/the pain that's in your eyes/I cannot stand/let me help you out/to some promised land."

**TOB Verse 6: **"I'll stay by your side/I'll still fight if you hide/I owe you this life/this is no time for pride/I'd die a thousand deaths that you might live/to pay this debt, I'll give all I can give/I know you can be redeemed/now that's why I live."

(_Screen FTB again. FF of portal to Earth appears._)

**WVO: **"Not long after that incident, they... you... came, attacked to gain access to the portal leading back to your world. There's not much I can add to your account of the battle, but perhaps the different perspective will be enlightening anyways..."

(_Screen fades to white this time, and "video" starts up again. This particular segment starts as Wizardmon and the rest of Myotismon's army arrive at the human world gate, before we show up. First shot is the shadows of the "mercenaries" in Myotismon's army from the left side as they come down a staircase, then a shot with Wizardmon at the head of the line, nervous, uncertain. He glances around a bit as he descends the staircase, apparently doesn't notice anything. Some of the other Digimon that were in Myotismon's army are shown, but can't be identified due to the angle of the shots._)

**Wizardmon** (_surprised, breathless tone_): "This must be where the gate to the human world is..."

(_Wizardmon and the others with him on the stairs continue descending, spreading out at the foot of the stairs when they reach it. SkullMeramon, Gotsumon and Pumpkinmon are among the Digimon seen in that shot. One wide shot follows, showing not only the group Wizardmon is in, but the group already at the gate, with Myotismon, Nanimon and DemiDevimon and their brigade. Myotismon starts making a speech, the details of which I won't bore you with._)

**Wizardmon **(_worriedly, to himself_): "Do we really need the speech now? I mean, they could be here any minute..." (_looks back nervously_)

(_The army lets out a short cheer, which Wizardmon excludes himself from._ _Myotismon then performs his "ceremony", a fairly spectacular use of magic to arrange the cards face-down on the panel that opened the gate. This is shown from a number of different angles, one focusing on Wizardmon's impressed expression. As the gate opens, the flaring blue light forces Wizardmon to shield his eyes. Some comments are faintly heard in the background about Myotismon's success._)

**WVO**: "Even I had to admit that was an impressive use of magic. Already chastised by my previous punishment, I became even more wary of going against Myotismon's will. Yet, as you know, this was what I would exactly do later."

**Gatomon **(_close up, raises right paw)_: "**Company, move!**"

(_"Video" shows Wizardmon and the others with him moving toward the gate. As he moves, we see him look back once toward Gatomon, and once toward the stairs before entering the blue light coming from the gate. Flashing patterns of light follow, apparently an attempt to depict the transit between the two worlds from a first-person perspective._)

**WVO **(_during previous montage_): "Was I scared to enter that gate? I think it was safe to say we were all at least nervous. We didn't know what lay ahead_, _we didn't know what we were getting into. We had no idea what the human world would be like. But most of all, I didn't know what it would mean for me, or for Gatomon."

(_FFs and short clips of the actual battle follow. They appear from various perspectives, most from Gatomon's direct perspective. A few appear to be "reconstructed" broad shots, and a few others seem to be from Agumon's perspective as they are positioned high enough to have been Greymon's viewpoint during the battle. These may have been taken directly from memory when Wizardmon's "ghost" copied their data patterns, or uncovered earlier through mind-reading. One particularly interesting feature of this montage is the display of Gatomon socking Greymon on the snout from the opposing perspectives._)

**WVO **(_during montage_)**: **"I never saw the battle itself, it apparently happened after the group I was in was already sent through. But I learned enough back then from reading Gatomon's memory to get the gist of what happened, and needless to say I was shocked, as no doubt you were at the battle itself. By the time of my rebellion, I had already realized Gatomon was a far more competent servant than most of the rest of the army, and that I was striking deeply against Myotismon in what I was doing."

(_More "video"_,_ this time from Wizardmon's first-person perspective. CHC as he literally tumbles into the human world, the cityscape whirls of color. The camera rises as Wizardmon recovers. Glimpses of the other Digimon around him as Wizardmon looks around at the cityscape, realizes that humans are watching them, and following several others into a darkened alleyway._)

**Wizardmon **(_looking at Gotsumon_): "What happened to Lord Myotismon? I thought he was right behind us?"

**Gotsumon** (_shrugging_): "No idea. Maybe he..."

(_Gotsumon is interrupted by an off-camera flash of light. The camera whips to see Myotismon's carriage appear where the Digimon had appeared just moments before. Gatomon appears in a flash just behind it. The carriage is wheeled down the alleyway before it can cause too much of a scene, and Myotismon exits the carriage when sufficiently out of public view. Gatomon approaches Myotismon._)

**Myotismon: **_(serious expression_)"I trust you have kept those children from following me through, as I ordered you?"

**Gatomon** (_bowing, proud tone)_: "Yes, the door literally closed right in their faces. It was a most delicious victory, Lord Myotismon."

**Myotismon: **(_smiles_)"Good. Very good. It will take those kids days to get that door open again, if they can do it at all. Now, we get to work finding the Eighth Child. With the headstart we have, we will surely find and destroy the child before the Digi-Destined find him!"

(_Various other Digimon shout affirmative or flattering statements. Wizardmon just stares in confusion at Gatomon. The following voice-over occurs during a "video" sequence of Myotismon leading his carriage further down the alleyway, while the other Digimon follow. During the whole sequence, Wizardmon has focused a confused gaze on Gatomon, who is beside Myotismon and DemiDevimon at the head of the carriage._)

**WVO**: "What had I exactly gotten myself into, indeed! Stranded in a strange world, with a mystery nagging at my mind no less! Some Digimon would have collapsed under such pressure as I was facing. Me, I had already cast my lot with Lord Myotismon, and had no way back, so I just pressed forward. I determined to maintain a facade of loyalty until it no longer proved useful in my investigations, but that loyalty was never extended to my heart. My heart loyalty lay with Gatomon, and whatever side she truly belonged to. Studying an apparent paradox, little did I know I was on track to a date with destiny... and my death."

(_Video FTB._)


	3. Investigate

**Part 3: Investigate**

(_TOB "Investigate" appears on screen, then fades. After a moment's pause, the "video" starts up again, this time on a gathering of Myotismon and his army on what appears to be one of the islands in the bay. Following voice-over explains what is happening on the video._)

**WVO: **"Once all the Digimon in Myotismon's army had been accounted for, we moved out of the city itself and onto an island in what you humans called 'Tokyo Bay'. There, Myotismon issued each of us a fake copy of the Crest of Light to use to help in locating the target child, then divided up the city into sections to search using a stolen map as a guide. Once that was done, we were dispersed according to our assigned sections to conduct the search the way we best saw fit."

(_Montage of Wizardmon's contribution to the effort: a "children's entertainer" and "balloon seller" that traveled around to see if anything set off the fake Crest._)

**WVO: **"And **that's **when the problems began. The human world appeared to be a very different thing from the Digital World; indeed, it wasn't until much later that I learned there was more to it than the city called 'Tokyo'. And the human race – I believe that's the term you use – was a very different race than Digimon are. That by itself might not have been so bad were it not for the sheer numbers we were dealing with! Human children here. Human children there. Human children everywhere, it seemed! To use one of your phrases, finding the child was like 'finding a needle in a haystack'."

(_FF of Wizardmon in some kind of focused meditative pose._)

**WVO: **"Convinced I needed a better way of searching through those masses, I activated my mind-reading powers in order to find some signal, some signature, to assist in the effort. To explain what I was doing a little better to you humans, you must understand that all beings capable of creating thoughts generate psychic signals relating to the content and form of those thoughts. The strength of the signal generated is proportional to the psychic ability of the being generating the signal. I had a very strong signal, as does Gatomon. Myotismon had a fairly strong signal as well. The strength of these signals, plus the unique signatures from them being Digimon versus humans, allowed me to focus on their specific signals and filter out the weak 'background noise' of all those human signals. Useless for finding the Eighth Child, but it allowed me to faintly track Gatomon's position and movements from halfway across the city."

(_Short clip of Wizardmon reporting to Myotismon of his efforts. Voice-over plays over this._)

**WVO**: "Of course, I was also working under the pressures of time. The fact we were here, and not somewhere else, meant the child had to be somewhere in the city. When reporting in, I was told that the Digi-Destined had somehow already managed to get back, and that there had been two incidents with them. One caused the loss of Gesomon, the other the loss of Raremon after a 'near-miss contact' involving DemiDevimon."

(_FF of Wizardmon pondering. Other Digimon are seen sleeping nearby._)

**WVO**: "This news was quite troubling, for it likely meant that we didn't have the days we thought we had to locate the child. In fact, I figured we had only one day, maybe two, to accomplish the task. Dividing us up to cover the city in sections was not going to do the job, it was just too big a task to deal with in the time we had to do it. It was obvious a new approach was needed to solving the problem."

(_Various images come up in sequence on the screen to illustrate Wizardmon's thought patterns._)

**WVO**: "There was no question in my mind we had to abandon Myotismon's 'brute-force' search strategy: it was too slow and now likely to directly provoke the DigiDestined against us, either by discovery or chance. As a detective, I needed to search smarter, not harder. An alternate search strategy was needed – a faster, more direct one that avoided continued conflict with the DigiDestined that would whittle down Myotismon's forces. The question now was 'What could this strategy be?'"

**WVO**: "After some thought, the possibility of finding the Eighth Child's Digimon partner occurred to me. On the surface, it seemed so brilliant an idea I wondered why Myotismon hadn't already thought of that tactic. As it seemed Digimon were not normally present of the human world, it greatly reduced the search scope needed to be covered, and it would at least be a lead to the child. This appeared to be an excellent 'backdoor' strategy to solving the problem, and even I would later be surprised by how well it worked out."

**WVO**: "I told no one else, not even Myotismon, about these speculations. Going into this 'backdoor' search pattern would be going against Myotismon's orders, and it was not likely I could convince him to adopt this pattern. There had to be a good reason I didn't know about yet why he hadn't adopted that pattern already. Furthermore, my reasoning was leading in the direction of one of Myotismon's army, perhaps even myself, being the sought-after Digimon."

(_Image of Wizardmon looking at sleeping Gatomon appears on the screen_.)

**WVO**: "Now in my mind, the two separate searchings: for the Eighth Child's Digimon, and for the truth about Gatomon, were beginning to intertwine, overlap with each other. I recoiled a bit from this, but could not help but wonder..."

(_Brief pause, then jump to montage of Gatomon shots displayed with a snare-drum beat laid over some kind of beatbox as the music. The music stops with the images, then starts up again along with a "video" clip of Gatomon searching the city. TOB "Every Deck Has A Wild Card" appears at the end of this, then series of Wizardmon images flash ending with TOB "Wild Card". Music stops at this point._)

**WVO**: "After a fruitless night search in the area of the near-miss, a tired and frustrated Myotismon doled out sections to search again while he retired to his coffin hidden belowground on the island. I could see he was in no mood to listen to anything I would have to say, so I just did as I was told."

(_Image of Wizardmon peeking from around an alley corner appears, the fake copy of the Crest of Light dangling from his right hand._)

**WVO**: "I didn't stay in my section long, however. As I already said, I felt it pointless to continue following Myotismon's methods, so I simply wandered the city at random, checking the fake Crest for any possible signals while using my mind-reading powers to keep track of where Gatomon and the other Digimon were."

(_Image of Wizardmon with a shell-shocked expression appears. The shot is framed so that only the head and upper chest are visible on screen._)

**WVO**: "For the whole morning, nothing came of this strategy. I simply wandered, frustration and unease growing in my mind. But shortly after noon, I received a jolt, a psychic blast, coming from the general direction I knew Gatomon to be in. Intense emotions, particularly emotions in conflict with each other, amplify the psychic signals that are sent out, and with hers as high as it was normally anyone 'tuned' to that signal could not have missed it."

(_Brief cut to black, then snare-drum over beatbox music starts again, starting with a startled Wizardmon expression followed by several images of Gatomon from the fireside sequence in the first part. Then cut to a short "video" of what appears to be Kari and Gatomon's first incidental meeting in passing – the "video" ends with Gatomon running off and Kari with a confused look on her face. Following this is a still of Wizardmon pondering something and then a zoom toward the island in the bay where Myotismon was. At the end is TOB "More Than She Seems?" before music stops._)

**WVO: **"The jolt confirmed that **something** was going on with Gatomon. If the girl I had seen – Kari, of course – was the Eighth Child, then the ambiguity tension I had felt in the blast might have indicated Gatomon was her partner Digimon. At this point, that connection was a hypothesis without support. And I had no solid evidence to provide that support."

(_Short "video" of Wizardmon blowing out a sigh and leaning against an alleyway wall, thinking of his next move. Action continues in short clips as narration proceeds._)

**WVO**: "To my frustration, I realized that my investigation was at an impasse. I lacked the knowledge needed to follow up on the only real lead I had gotten thus far. In other words, I needed to do more research into Gatomon's past and the role of the Eighth Child to solidify my theory. With what I thought was between 12 and 36 hours left to find that child, research was the last thing I wanted to do. But I felt compelled to undertake it anyways."

(_Clip of Wizardmon skimming over the surface of the bay toward the island where Myotismon had his headquarters during the search._)

**WVO**: "Going back to the base island would be violating another of Myotismon's orders – that his sleep not be disturbed. But I had reasoned that Myotismon had brought books with him that had the information I needed, and that this would be the only way to get that information. Already living dangerously by not sticking to my assigned section of the city, I figured I had nothing to lose by breaking this other rule as well."

(_Cut to clip of Wizardmon hiding behind a bush on the edge of the island after his fly-over ends. Several cuts show Wizardmon's position relative to the underground entrance, the Bakemon guard faintly visible just inside it, and finally Wizardmon emerging to see what reaction his presence gets. Wizardmon looks around, sees nothing happening, then slowly floats over behind a bush close to the entrance. Faint snoring is heard coming from inside the entrance, probably from the Bakemon._)

**Wizardmon**: (_quietly chuckling_) "Some guard system Myotismon set up – one sleepy Bakemon at the entrance! If those DigiDestined knew we were here, Myotismon wouldn't stand a chance!"

(_Wizardmon emerges from behind the bush and fires a Thunder Ball attack – a fireball aimed and fired from his right hand - at the sleeping Bakemon, which wakes up in a panic. Before the Bakemon can get anywhere, Wizardmon grabs him and tosses him into the bay. As the Bakemon flails around, a Magical Game attack – lightning from the end of his staff – is fired by Wizardmon, stunning the Bakemon and apparently drowning him. Wizardmon turns away from the scene and goes through the entrance._)

**WVO**: "Admittedly a somewhat crude act, but necessary to prevent Myotismon from being alerted to my presence. With no other apparent guard in place, I was now free to explore the underground chambers for the information I sought."

(_Video now FTB as Wizardmon floats down the stairs into the underground area. After a moment of blackness, the end of Wizardmon's staff flares into a glowing light, only illuminating Wizardmon's figure and expression. He comes to the bottom of the stairs, stops and scans the surrounding area by moving the end of his staff in an arc in front of him. Illuminated is a large jail-cell like area in front of him, in the center of which is faintly seen Myotismon's coffin, in which he was presumably sleeping at the time. To Wizardmon's left is a wall, to Wizardmon's right is a short corridor he now goes down. At the end is a door; Wizardmon looks back as he grabs the handle and carefully turns it. Silently the door opens, and Wizardmon enters it._)

**Wizardmon **(_quietly with slight echo_): "Maybe they're in here..."

(_Wizardmon scans the room using his staff light source. In a near corner, he notices a map of Tokyo on a small table with a set of figurines representing the various members of Myotismon's army set on top of it, as if they were chess pieces. Farther in, he notices a table roughly the size of an office-desk against one of the side walls, clean but dusty. On the opposite wall from the table, a shelf is stacked with a series of books, all marked with some kind of bat symbol on them._)

**Wizardmon **(_pleased expression_): "There they are! These books ought to tell me everything I need to know..."

(_Video shows Wizardmon scanning the shelf of books and pulling down a few books that draw his attention. He takes those books and carefully places them down on the table, so that they don't make noise when he sets them down. He opens one of the books and begins reading, using the light source of his staff to illuminate the pages. Subsequent narration describes what we see next._)

**WVO**: "The first book I looked in told me little more than I already knew: that eight human children and their Digimon partners were selected, chosen, to defeat evildoers in the Digital World and save it from those evildoers. But it also told me why Myotismon had not concerned himself with finding the Eighth Child's Digimon; that Digimon was listed as 'missing, presumed dead'. It explained a lot of Myotismon's behavior, but I refused to be deterred. No evidence of the supposed Digimon's death was ever found, according to that book. Myotismon apparently took the book at face value, but I, as a detective, could not. With no evidence of the supposed death, the possibility of survival had to be accounted for."

**WVO**: "If the Eighth Child's partner Digimon was indeed alive, then what would it look like? In other words, what was the Digimon supposed to be? The first book didn't have that information, so I looked at another book I had taken off the shelf. This book appeared to be some kind of log from the original project which created the partner Digimon, including the supposed Eighth Child's partner Digimon. One section included conjectural Digivolution lines that stopped at the In-Training stage. The lines of the seven known DigiDestined had been extended, with extremely spiteful comments I might add, to Champion and sometimes Ultimate stage. But the eighth partner Digimon page had been untouched; either Myotismon had never looked at this page or simply passed it over."

**WVO**: "Reading through the extended conjectural lines, I realized that the original intent of the choice of partner Digimon were to cover a broad spectrum of abilities and powers. There was little overlap in the conjectured lines, probably on purpose. So when I came to the eighth partner, the choice of YukimiBotamon seemed odd. Why was there overlap here, when it didn't seem to be needed? One of the conjectural lines lead to Nyaromon, which, unlike the other lines, wouldn't appear to lead to an overlap of power types. This roused my interest, but with no other information, I needed to go look into another book to fill in the gaps."

(_Video shows Wizardmon pulling what appears to be some kind of guidebook off of the shelf and placing it on the desk. He carefully puts it down on the desk on top of the other books, opens it and begins flipping through the pages. Apparently, Rookie and Champion level Digimon occurred often enough in the past to document a consistent line, or tree, of Digivolutionary choices. Wizardmon stops on a page, then camera flips to over-shoulder shot at the page Wizardmon is scanning. Several Digimon are visible as sketch drawings on the page._)

**Wizardmon** (_quietly_) "Nyaromon... Nyaromon... here it is! Let's see... (_mumbling_)... one line is... one line **has** Gatomon?... Nyaromon to Salamon, Salamon to Gatomon... could it be possible?..."

**WVO**: "The book showed a possible line from Nyaromon to Gatomon. This at least made my crazy theory a reasonable possibility. Don't forget, Myotismon had access to this information as well, he could've easily put two and two together like I did, but he never bothered to look at this 'backdoor' method. He must've thought it didn't exist, or it didn't matter if it did."

(_Wizardmon goes back to the bookshelf again and scans it one more time. He pulls down several more books and places them down on the now-crowded table. Some of the books Wizardmon peeks open, and then returns to the shelf. Two books he stacks on the table; he then opens the top one._)

**WVO**: "I now turned to the other half of the emerging equation: Gatomon's history in service to Myotismon. Myotismon had brought his military service records with him, for bookkeeping purposes I would imagine. Though written with a fair amount of abbreviations and jargon, I was able to read enough to find what you would call 'personnel files'. Two books dealt with Gatomon, so those were the ones I was going to read."

(_Video shows Wizardmon flipping through the pages of the book as he talks._)

**Wizardmon**: "Where is...? Here we go... entry on Gatomon (_page flipping sounds_)... pretty long one too... she must've done a lot for him... let's see... action record... honors... command history... this is boring! Where's the end of the entry? (_fast page flipping_) Here we go... wait, what's that 'see also' entry about? Where does it go?"

(_Wizardmon shifts the book he was looking at to the side. He picks up the book revealed in this manner, turns it so as to read the spine, then looks back and forth between the book spine and what he had been reading. Finally, he turns the book back facing up._)

**Wizardmon**: (_numbly_) "So this is the other book it referenced... what's in here? What could Myotismon possibly be hiding in here? (_turns book over in his hands_) Hmm... (_puts book back on table and tries to open it, but it refuses to open_) This is magic locked! What is in here that requires a lock like that on it?"

(_Wizardmon steps back and gives a thoughtful expression in the direction of the book._)

**Wizardmon**: (_sighs_) "There's nothing for it. The only way I can break this kind of lock is to either recite the right spell, which I have no clue about, or try to short it with my staff."

(_Wizardmon gingerly reaches out with his staff to touch the book. The tip makes physical contact with the book, a bang is heard, and the light goes out. Several seconds of black screen, during which shuffling sounds are heard. The light at the end of the staff comes on again, and Wizardmon is seen spending several seconds checking outside the room before coming back to the book._)

**Wizardmon**: "Is it...? (_gingerly reaches for top cover, pulls it open_) Whew. Alright Myotismon, it's time to reveal your secrets!"

(_Horror music begins playing as Wizardmon turns to the first page. Alternating shots of looking at the words written on the page and Wizardmon's increasingly surprised and horrified expression at what he is reading. The pages describe, in fairly graphic detail, the tortures Myotismon gave to Salamon after finding her to bend her to his service. I won't go into much detail for the sake of kindness, but the described brutality included starvation, mockery, beatings by Myotismon and others, several different types of torture, and all around general abuse/neglect. That record is pretty long, as evidenced by the shocked Wizardmon rapidly flipping through the pages. One shot shows a drawing of 'those eyes' that provoked Myotismon to such treatment, another how she got the scars hiding under her paw gloves. At the end, a scrawled 'DEFIANT NO LONGER, I'VE BROKEN HER' is shown, and Wizardmon drops his staff in shock. Horror music crescendos._)

**Wizardmon**: (_picks up staff, looks at page again_) "What...? How...? What did he...?" (_cups hand over mouth, unable to say anything more_)

(_FTB as Wizardmon looks alternately between the book and "camera" in horror._)


	4. Conspiracy

**Part 4: Conspiracy**

(_TOB "CONSPIRACY" appears, then screen flips to white text on red background before fading to black again._)

**Wizardmon: **(_heavy, rasped breathing_)

(_Wizardmon leans against one of the walls in the room, clutching a fist over his chest. Something like radio static is heard as he goes into a focusing pose. Several images of Tokyo flash by, then we see Wizardmon suddenly look stunned. An image of the apartment building Tai and Kari live in appears, then is zoomed in on. Brief cut to black, then "video" starts up again, this time from what appears to be 1st-person of Gatomon, near the enterance to the Kamiya apartment._)

**Gatomon VO:** "In here. I feel she's in here."

(_Camera moves forward, passes through open enterance. Cut to shot of Gatomon approaching Kari, currently sitting on the couch watching television. Gatomon jumps on top of couch, prepares to attack, Kari turns and notices her._)

**Kari: **"Hi!"

**Gatomon:** (_surprised gasp, eyes go wide_)

**Kari: **(_turns and gestures to hug Gatomon)_ "Come here!"

(_Gatomon loses her balance and falls off couch. Cut back to 1st-person of Gatomon, CHC as she tumbles to the floor, then she shakes it off and starts back out the door. She stops for a moment, camera turns in direction of Kari._)

**Kari: **(_confused tone_) "Are you going already?"

(_Continued 1st-person shot of retreat, this time the view "shaking" up and down slightly due to her fast movements. Sudden cut to shocked Wizardmon._)

**Wizardmon: **"Wait, stop!"

(_The previous "video" starts "rewinding" – playing backwards without audio – very fast, then ending with a very wide-eyed expression of Wizardmon. The screen fades to red video, and the snare-drum over beat-box tune starts again as Wizardmon's eyes narrow into an extreme anger expression. The sketch drawing of Salamon with the defiant eyes appears above Wizardmon's expression, "WILD CARD PLAYED" appearing in white text at the bottom of the screen._)

(_Montage of shots showing Wizardmon trashing the room, the images moving in beat with the music: flipping the office-desk table over onto its face, knocking the shelf of books down and tossing them onto the flipped-over table. He then moves toward the little table with the figures on it and angrily starts tossing them onto the book pile in time with the music beat. He, and the music, stop for a moment when he picks up the Myotismon figurine. Angry glare shown, and the music starts again as Wizardmon throws the Myotismon figure onto the floor hard, stamps down on it with his foot, and kicks the broken pieces of the figure toward the book pile. He then throws the map with its stand onto the pile, spends two beats picking up and pocketing the figures of himself and Gatomon, then positions himself to directly attack the pile. The defiant Salamon expression flashes by, then close-up on Wizardmon with a similar expression._)

**Wizardmon: **"FLASH... BANG!"

(_The "camera" jumps to several different viewpoints of Wizardmon ready to fire his attack, ending in a first-person perspective, TOB "FLASH" and then "BANG" are inserted between stills of the attack being fired, and finally a close-up of the Crest of Light overlayed with "JUSTICE TRUMPS ALL" in white text inserted at the end. The attack connects, the pile erupts in flames, and the close-in camera flares to white. Music stops._)

**Wizardmon: **(_heavy breathing, scuffling noises_)

(_"Video" resumes from first-person Wizardmon perspective, CHC as Wizardmon speeds out the room and back toward the cell where we saw the coffin earlier. A loud alarm is going off in the background, probably triggered by the fire. He stops, camera whips to the right to see the coffin shaking a bit, then whips left to notice the stairs which he starts up at a high speed, causing the camera to shake as he moves. The video lightens as he approaches the top of the stairs; once at the top a large shake and continued rising perspective indicates a direct launch into the air. Cut to perspective of Wizardmon rising over the island, then leveling off and slowly going back down toward the waterline. At high speed and with angry expression, he speeds back the way he came._)

**WVO:** "I'm... still not exactly sure what came over me in there. I got angry. I got more angry than I ever thought it was possible for me to be. If you read what I read about her, you would probably be too. I don't know how long I was like this, but for the moment all I wanted to do was hurt Myotismon in some way. I spent what was left of the afternoon hunting down and destroying pockets of Bakemon that had hidden themselves in the city during the previous night."

(_Montage shows what he means: coming across a small group of sleeping Bakemon in a dark alley, hitting them while they are still asleep, then pummeling the confused Bakemon with attacks until destroyed._)

**WVO:** "I don't know how many I killed that way. A dozen, at least. Asleep and in small groups, it was like sheep to the slaughter, to use another human metaphor. When my anger had finally exhausted itself, I went to DemiDevimon, intending to tell him a cover story of a Bakemon rebellion to cover up for what happened. As it turned out, DemiDevimon had been sent to recall all searchers because of my vandalism and was already looking for me. Once again, I went back toward the island where Myotismon had been."

(_Image of Wizardmon being escorted by DemiDevimon back toward the island mentioned._)

**WVO: **"The reassembly was minus several more searchers, continued evidence of DigiDestined activity. This combined with the 'attack' put Myotismon in a very bad mood, and most of the meeting was spent listening to him ranting about supposed traitors in the ranks. Obviously affected by a bout of paranoia, he demand we all retake our oaths of loyalty to him. Several Bakemon questioned the necessity of this; you can guess what happened to them."

(_Several shots of Wizardmon and the other Digimon holding up the right hand, or equivalent part of anatomy thereof, as they recite the loyalty vow. Then cut to a short "video" of Myotismon handing out new search assignments._)

**WVO: **"Of course, I recited the oath; I didn't have a choice not to. But it was a hollow recitation, one I had no intention of keeping. I plotted to again forgo my assigned search area and simply shadow Gatomon's movements until something happened."

(_Still of Wizardmon looking on nervously as Myotismon, Gatomon and DemiDevimon talk concerning the assignments given out._)

**WVO: **"My instinct told me the Eighth Child would be found soon, maybe that night, maybe the following day. But definitely soon. I had already begun to break with Myotismon, but had no time to build support for an active revolt against him. The best of the options in front of me was to disrupt Myotismon's search pattern so that Gatomon would go with her feelings and not just stick to a given searching area. It helped that DemiDevimon was assigned to an adjacent area, so that they would be traveling together."

(_Short "video" of Wizardmon sneaking away from the meeting and hiding himself in some bushes on the island._)

**WVO:** "My plan? Fake Gatomon and DemiDevimon being ambushed by DigiDestined, so as to seperate the two of them and give a pretext for Gatomon to go somewhere other than where she was assigned. I would then shadow her for the night to see what happened. If nothing happened by the following morning, I planned on finding a DigiDestined and offering to join their side in exchange for telling my suspicions of the Eighth Child. I did not think it would come to that point, though."

(_FF of defiant Wizardmon shown with Crest of Light symbol behind him. "Video" starts again, this time from first-person of Wizardmon's perspective. Suspenseful music is playing, with bird song overlaying it. Various Digimon are seen heading out in the dusky conditions on the island, Wizardmon watching from a bush. Finally, we see Gatomon mount a Bakemon escort, DemiDevimon beside her, and take off in a particular direction. An "air launching" sound effect is heard as Wizardmon takes off behind them; several shots follow of him shadowing their trip back to the city. Cut to Wizardmon watching Gatomon, DemiDevimon and the Bakemon escort from hiding in a little section of the shore secluded from public view by shubbery._)

**Gatomon and DemiDevimon**: (_faint, indistinct dialouge; judging from the video, the two of them appear to be having some kind of argument_)

(_Viewpoint is now directly behind the Bakemon escort, watching from behind some shubbery. A hand reaches out and pulls the Bakemon into the bushes, the Bakemon crying in surprise as a result. A quick blow from Wizardmon's staff knocks him cold. Gatomon and DemiDevimon stop their argument, look at each other in surprise, and Gatomon rushes in the direction of the noise. Camera suddenly jumps to a viewpoint looking toward the shore, with Gatomon running across the screen to the right. She stops near the bushes, and gasps in shock as a lightning attack hits a spot just behind her. She whirls around, trying to see what is going on._)

**Gatomon **(_loudly, to DemiDevimon, camera close on her_): "AMBUSH! RUN!"

(_Camera jumps to behind DemiDevimon, who is near the bushes on the other side of the area. A hand reaches out again and pulls him into the bushes; gasping sounds are heard as he is being choked. He passes out and falls to the ground like a bowling ball, feet and wings limp. Gatomon sees this, whirls around several times in a vain effort to spot the "attackers", and takes off into the distance at top speed. Suspense music stops, a piano begins to play, and bird song continues over the piano and quiet female singing. Wizardmon emerges from the bushes, a pained look on his face._)

**WVO: **"A regretful but necessary deception. The 'ambush' freed Gatomon from any obligation to stay within her specific sector while DemiDevimon was temporarily unable to conduct his search. Knowing I would need to move quickly before the knocked-out Digimon recovered, I threw the Bakemon into the bay and stripped DemiDevimon of his Crest copy. I took it – apparently, he was so clueless he never noticed it was gone – and threw that in the bay as well, to ensure his search would be fruitless. Between those actions, I had bought myself at least the overnight hours to conduct my conspiracy. I got myself out of DemiDevimon's sight range as quickly as I could, then focused my mind-reading enough to sense in what direction Gatomon was going. I began to follow in that general direction, using my Crest copy to see whether anything triggered a reaction..."

(_Screen FTB_)


	5. Revelation

**Part 5: Revelation**

(_TOB 'Revelation' appears, then magenta-colored outline of Crest of Light shape appears behind it, stretching across the screen. The entire screen then slowly turns the same magenta color. Screen flickers, then turns into a scattering of colored squares accompanied by loud static noise. The confusion of color resolves into a 'video' of the city activity at dusk. Low guitar and drumming begin playing. The loops of activity jump rapidly over several points, and then stops on one, which goes back and forth until a clear face is resolved on the screen – Gatomon's. The expression is one of caution and concern._)

**WVO: **"I've found you! (_zoom in on Gatomon's face_) That means he could find you too, out here away from where you're supposed to be."

(_A number of clips showing Gatomon on the search play in sequence, seeing her slip between gaps in the traffic to minimize her time in the open. Judging from the shaking of the camera and its relative height, this may be from Wizardmon stalking her._)

**WVO: **"You go about your business as though nothing had happened, just as though you were following your master's orders. But we both know better. There! (_video briefly stops_ _on worried Gatomon expression_) You know it, don't you? Stop running. Stop trying to pretend, Gatomon. The answers are here, but only if you can see them for what they are! Your master will stop at nothing to enslave this world, just as I will stop at nothing to end his slavery. I will not leave you to the servitude of Myotismon!"

(_Last clip shows Gatomon climbing up a building facing the one Tai and Kari are living in. Cut to Gatomon looking out to the building. The camera is slowly approaching her from behind, but stops when she starts looking around. It backs up to behind a door opened just a crack, and peeking out shows Gatomon looking in the camera's general direction. She stops, moves out of camera sight and a few seconds later something slams against the door, forcing it shut. CHC as the camera quickly flips around and retreats. Next shot shows Gatomon looking at the Kamiya apartment in a contemplative manner._)

**WVO**: "He will not stop, not for anything. Please, Gatomon! There is no time left; the Eighth Child will be found soon, and the fate of two worlds will depend on who finds it. I know you are conflicted inside, but I will trust you to do the right thing!"

(_Music ends, video goes to static, then resolves into a nighttime image of Gatomon looking over toward the apartment. Voice over in this shot goes in and out, as if the "volume" was being adjusted, this may have been an effect of Wizardmon's mind-reading._)

**Gatomon VO:** "If Kari is... Eighth DigiDestined Child... have to destroy... strange sensation... still don't understand... when I had the chance..."

(_Cutaway to Wizardmon gasping in surprise. He is hovering in mid-air, the camera showing him some distance behind Gatomon._)

**WVO: **"After tracking her to this region of the city, I pinpointed her exact location and began sweeping in widening circles around that spot, hoping to catch some sign of the child walking around. I wasn't having any luck though, and I knew my circling would soon intrude on DemiDevimon's search region. If he found me, the game would be up. I kept up the mind-link, hoping it would provide me with more information, and then this started coming in. I hurried back toward her spot, thinking that maybe she had found the child. As I moved, more thoughts started coming through the link, confirming my previous theories on her past."

(_Video shows replay of previous attack attempt on Kari, then images of an Earth cat – probably Miko, then flashbacks of her abuse as Salamon, her defiant eyes emphasized. Wizardmon is seen approaching Gatomon from behind as she is talking about how her past "is a blur"._)

**Wizardmon: **"Thinking about the good old days?"

**Gatomon: **"I'm not going to tell you again, Wizardmon – don't read my thoughts without my permission!"

**Wizardmon: **(_apologetically_) "I'm sorry, Gatomon. Please, forgive me."

**Gatomon: **(_annoyed) _"And shouldn't you be out looking for the Eighth DigiDestined human?"

**Wizardmon:** "Yes, I'll get right on it!" (_Wizardmon leaves, camera cuts into Wizardmon's continued searching_)

**WVO: **"I continued my search, more out of desperation than anything else. Widening my circles further, I began intruding into DemiDevimon's search area, and finally over a section of wooded parkland..."

(_Shot of Wizardmon looking down at his glowing copy of the Crest of Light in surprise._)

**Wizardmon: **"It's reacting! I wonder what's causing it?" (_Camera flips to first person shot, then zooms on a crow's nest, apparently made mostly of coat hangers, in a tree of the woods. A crow takes off and flies in the direction of the camera, revealing the inside of the nest. In the middle of the nest is..._)

**Wizardmon: **"The Digivice! **Thunder Ball!**" (_Energy ball is fired away from camera viewpoint toward the flying crow. The ball hits the crow, scaring it away. Following shot shows Wizardmon diving to the nest and picking up the Digivice._)

**DemiDevimon VO: **"Hey Wizardmon, what'ya doin' over there?" (_Camera turns to see DemiDevimon approaching Wizardmon from behind. The Digivice is quickly hidden by Wizardmon in his clothing.)_

**Wizardmon: **"Uh, nothing..."

**WVO: **"As you might imagine, his timing couldn't have been worse. As you humans would say, I had to 'think fast' in order to keep DemiDevimon from knowing I had just found the crucial Digivice. Fortunatly, in the brief time I had been in the human world, I had been trying out a number of new and different things, and kept items from those experiences as souveniers of sorts. I quickly decided to use one of those to get DemiDevimon to go away."

**DemiDevimon: **"Hard to believe you came all this way out here to do nothing. Come on, show me what you found!"

**Wizardmon: **"Alright, but if I show you, you have to promise not to tell anyone!"

**DemiDevimon: **(_eagerly_) "Come on, show me!"

**Wizardmon: **(_pulls out green bottle with indistinct label_) "All right, it's a bottle of green chili sauce. It's great on tacos!"

**DemiDevimon: **"What are you doing eating on the job when there's work to be done? You should be looking for the Eighth DigiDestined kid like the others!"

**Wizardmon: **"Please don't tell Lord Myotismon! Here, why don't you get rid of this for me?" (_hands bottle to DemiDevimon_)

(_Camera shows DemiDevimon accepting the bottle and flying away, talking, words indistinct, to himself. Wizardmon sees him fly away, satisfied._)

**WVO: **"Worked like a charm. And because of my previous arrangements, DemiDevimon didn't have a Crest copy to tip him off. One problem solved, but another one emerged. No human children around the discovery site."

**Wizardmon: **"There's no way I'm handing this over to DemiDevimon, he'll take all the credit for himself. But wait... if the Digivice is here, where is the Eighth Child hiding?"

(_Shot of him hiding in forest. He is sitting at the base of a tree, cradling the Digivice in his hands. His expression is of deep thought and concern._)

**WVO: **"The Digivice in one hand, the fake Crest in the other, three paths lay before me. I could report to Myotismon with it as the faithful servant, like I had been ordered to do. I could keep the discovery a secret, to use as leverage against Myotismon or to save my own life in the fight against the DigiDestined. And I could bring it to Gatomon, to see if my crazy theory was right."

(_Wizardmon sighs deeply. His eyes screw shut tight for a moment, and a tear starts trickling down his face_.)

**WVO:** "For several minutes, I did not know what I should do. Three different voices competed within me, each for one of the paths I saw before me. Unable to make the choice, I decided to again establish a mental connection towards Gatomon. This time, it was greatly amplified by the presence of the Digivice, and the stream of images that passed through me pushed me down the path I liked least to do: test my theory."

(_"Video" shows sitting Wizardmon looking upwards contemplatively. A white-noise effect starts playing, overlayed with a stark "heartbeat" sound that gets somewhat louder and faster every few times it repeats. Various images, all fuzzy, display on the screen, all from earlier in the video. These images include short bits from the first meeting with Gatomon and subsequent reunion, the results of Wizardmon's previous imvestigating, and bits from Gatomon's own memory. The video ends with a series of images changing with each heartbeat sound: concerned Gatomon, Digivice, Crest symbol, Kari, Myotismon, tortured Salamon, Wizardmon crying slightly, then eyes opening in determination. White-noise and heartbeat sounds stop._)

**WVO: **"The images seared in my mind forced me into one path. Going to Myotismon I dare not; it would leave Gatomon in the darkness, and I would not be able to live with myself if Myotismon won his war due to me. Keeping the Digivice a secret was too risky a strategy; if I did not immediately attempt to seek the protection of the DigiDestined, Myotismon would sooner or later catch up with me, and take the device from me. Showing the device to her, though the hardest path, was the one most likely to succeed. I chose it, though not without agony and tears."

(_Shot of Wizardmon crying silently. He is alone, no one else is in the view of the camera shot._)

**WVO: **"I had been putting all the pieces of my investigation together. The seared images of Gatomon's tortured past had finally convinced me that my theory was correct, but it also put an enormous burden on myself. I knew full well the fate of both the human world and my own could be determined by what I did with this Digivice in the next minutes and hours, but I also saw that the same device could cost the lives of both myself and Gatomon. I didn't want to make this kind of decision, to have this kind of power over life and death. All I wanted was to go back to the Digital World and forget about everything, try to live a life of peace and tranquility."

(_Wizardmon slowly stands up, hides the Digivice and Crest copy in his clothes again, and wipes the tears from his face using his sleeves.)_

**WVO: **"I knew, however, that I had no way back. At least no way that could be easily reached. All paths I saw lead forward, and most of them to death. And none of us Digimon had any idea of whether our data would return to Primary Village, or some counterpart in the human world. If we died, it truly would seem to be the end. Gone, forever. You humans may not ever have any idea how much fear that would strike into the heart of a Digimon."

(_Freeze on Wizardmon's fearful expression._)

**WVO: **"I had accepted that at some point in this conflict between Myotismon and the DigiDestined, we could very well die this permanent death. Several 'fellow soldiers' had already fallen to DigiDestined attacks, so it seemed more a matter of 'when' rather than 'if'. In face of this inevitability, I could conduct myself in three ways – a subservient coward of a tyrant abuser, a fool-hardy free agent looking out only for himself, or a good friend trying to right a horrendous wrong and just maybe saving two worlds in the process."

(_Freeze of Wizardmon hovering high and behind the contemplative Gatomon. Images of the defiant Salamon, Kari, the Crest symbol and the Digivice fade in and out in turn._)

**WVO:** "You already know which path I chose. But I chose it through much fear and dismayed weeping. Having, holding the precious Digivice in my hands made my choice clear, but it did not make it easy. Some part of me had to die before I could go through with that choice. I guess you could call it my ego. I did not make that choice purely out of honor, although the fact that the other options before me were dishonorable helped in making the choice. It came from that little bit of good inside Gatomon had shown before, that seemed to be strengthened and encouraged by the horrors I had seen. Slowly, painfully, the pain I saw, and felt to a degree, destroyed my sense of self-preservation. For the first time, I admitted to myself I loved her, and only wanted what was best for her. Even if it meant I had to die."

(_Freeze on Wizardmon's pained expression._)

**WVO: **"If you want to worship me as a hero, then remember that this is what made me the hero in the first place. You must remember the agony, the anxiety I had in making that choice."

(_FTB, screen turns pink and another poem verse scrolls by in black text before FTB again: "__You don't understand why I'm here/so I don't explain/I just spend every day now/trying to draw you up from your pain/the fingers of evil wind their way/to the core of your soul/you must be bought back/you have to seize control!"_)


	6. Insurrection

**Part 6: Insurrection**

(_TOB "Insurrection" appears on screen. The text then turns red and moves to the top of the screen. The screen then turns magenta and the area below the word divides into five sections, the dividing lines white. A different image fades into each section in the order given: the center section shows a defiant Wizardmon; the section to its right shows a confused Gatomon with the "defiant Salamon" drawing faintly superimposed over her; the section to the left of the center section shows a surprised Agumon, with the Crest of Courage symbol superimposed over him; the rightmost section shows the younger Kari with the Crest of Light symbol superimposed over her; and the leftmost section shows a confused Tai. Screen slowly FTB, then "video" starts up again, from a first-person perspective of Wizardmon. The viewpoint is slowly approaching the still-contemplative Gatomon._)

**Gatomon: **(_turns to face "camera", annoyed expression_) "Wizardmon, what is it now? Go away, before I use you as my scratching post!"

(_The video briefly pauses and splits down the middle, the left half showing Wizardmon's first-person perspective and the right half showing Gatomon's first-person perspective as they are looking at each other. It remains like this throughout the following conversation._)

**Wizardmon: **"Sorry to disturb you again, Gatomon, but..."

**Gatomon: **"But what?" (_jumps down from perch_)

(_Wizardmon pulls out the Digivice he had hidden before._)

**Gatomon: **(_very surprised_) "The Digivice! Where'd you get it?"

**Wizardmon: **"I found it in a crow's nest in the Iraki woods."

(_Editor's note: The "woods" he is referencing is a small park some distance away from the apartment building where Tai and Kari were living. It is also some distance away from where the near-miss signal and the battle with Raremon occurred. In the middle of the night, even with tracking methods, it's not hard to see how the trail was lost when the crow picked the Digivice up. - Izzy_)

**Gatomon: **"Then the Eighth DigiDestined must be somewhere near there!"

**Wizardmon: **(_hesistantly_) "No, the child is..."

**Gatomon: **(_cuts him off, insistent_) "Tell me right now!"

**Wizardmon: **(_still hesistant_) "Well, you see Gatomon..."

**Gatomon: **"WHAT?"

**Wizardmon: **"I wonder if the location of the child is somewhere in your own heart."

**Gatomon: **(_eyes go wide, tone of voice changes notably_) "What are you saying?!"

* * *

><p>(<em>The "video" freezes at this point, and flips to a fullscreen FF of Wizardmon's nervous expression. It stays this way throughout the following voice-over.<em>)

**WVO: **"The moment I got my crazy idea out there, and I saw that expression on her face, was the moment I realized my 'crazy theory' wasn't so crazy after all, and might even be true. I'd hit something in her psyche, something important to her. Nervously, I pressed onward."

(_"Video" resumes, in the same split-screen as before. Seeing the expressions on both their faces is a very interesting experience, even after viewing the video a prodigious amount of times for writing this transcript up._)

**Wizardmon: **"I believe that long ago you buried away an important part of yourself, and somewhere deep within your heart is the key to the identity of the Eighth Digi-Destined child. Try to remember."

(_Gatomon looks down nervously._)

**Wizardmon: **(_passionately_)"What's holding you back? Is it you are afraid of what you might find? You can get your lost memories back, Gatomon! End your long nightmare, and try to remember!"

**Gatomon: **(_suddenly gets defensive, brandishes claws threateningly_) "Just leave me alone! Who sent you here, Myotismon?!"

**Wizardmon: **"Myotismon has nothing to do with this. I fight by your side, not his." (_Gatomon's eyes go wide again, drops defensive posture_) "I tell you these things now, because you are my friend."

(_The "video" keeps running, but at this point the audio cuts out for the following voice-over. Presumably, this is because it was considered unneeded to tell of the desert rescue story again, so the voice-over plays over him explaining to Gatomon what happened back then. After the voice-over ends, some scenes from the first part of the movie, interspersed with close-ups from both Gatomon and Wizardmon, continue playing silently._)

**WVO: **"At this point, I was convinced to go all out. The defensive reaction from her here confirmed I had hit something, and now I poured out my soul, telling of that first encounter in the desert and how she had saved me. As she would tell you, she denied remembering any of it as Myotismon's treatment had by necessity repressed such 'inconsistent' memories as that."

(_Editor's Note: The previous statement was independantly confirmed not long after Myotismon's first defeat, where inquiries by several parties revealed that her memories of the desert rescue had been merely repressed and not erased. The audio picks up again on Gatomon wondering who she could have been waiting for. - Izzy_)

**Kari: **(_off-screen, loudly) "_Miko!"

(_Gatomon leaps back up to where she had been watching Kari. The camera observes from Wizardmon's perspective, and moves forward to see Kari with Miko on the balcony of the opposite apartment building. Indistinct dialouge from Kari as Wizardmon turns to look at Gatomon. Voice-over as Wizardmon and Gatomon observe Kari put Miko back inside, then go to the edge of the balcony to observe them in return._)

* * *

><p><strong>WVO: <strong>"It was time to put all the puzzle pieces together. Now or never, as you humans say."

(_Camera perspective from just behind Wizardmon's shoulder now._)

**Wizardmon: **(_confidently_)"I think perhaps your search is finally over!" (_flies toward Kari_)

(_Kari backs away as Wizardmon floats in front of her in mid-air._)

**Kari: **(_gasps_) "Who are you?" (_Wizardmon answers with his name_) "How are you able to fly like that?" (_Wizardmon tries to think of an answer to that question when Gatomon is seen jumping into the frame and onto the balcony near Kari. Considering the previously-seen mid-air acrobatics, this is not as implausible to do as it sounds._)

(_Editor's Note: Kari wanted this inserted "for the record" - "Gatomon's horizontal jumping distance is at least twice what you think it would be. Since coming to the human world, she sometimes will jump between those two buildings (in the video) whenever she's particularly frisky, and it drives my mom _**_crazy. _**_She's forbidden it several times, but Gatomon never listens. There was also the recent parkour competition with WereGarurumon, but that's a story for another time. :)" - Izzy_)

**Kari: **(_to Gatomon_)"Oh, it's you! Hello again! You're Agumon's friend, aren't you? How come you ran away last time I saw you?"

(_Before Gatomon can do or say anything, Wizardmon puts the Digivice, screen up, in her right paw, and has her hold it out to Kari._)

**Kari: **(_curiously_)"What's that thing? Can I see it?" (_tries to touch it, the Digivice shoots out beams of light, video FF on that image_)

**WVO: **"It was at this magical moment that I saw my theory proven, perhaps the sweetest memory of my life. All that work had not been for nothing, and Gatomon would soon be free. At least in part. The only thing needed was to make contact with DigiDestined, which now seemed easy because Kari was already familiar with a Digimon. Little did I know **how** easy it would be..." (_"Video" starts again._)

**Gatomon: **"Tell me Wizardmon, is this girl the Eighth Digi-Destined?!"

**Wizardmon: **"Yes!" (_takes back the Digivice_)

**Gatomon: **"Well then who is her Digimon?"

**Wizardmon: **"I think you already know the answer. You were waiting for someone, try to remember."

**Gatomon: **"Hold on, my memory is starting to come back..."

(_Editor's Note:_ _What follows is a series of flashback sequences from Gatomon's memory detailing her past. Presumably Wizardmon unlocked them with the "key" of his own memories, assisted by the Digivice which was already linked to both Gatomon and Kari. In the original transcript draft, I detailed what she was saying during these sequences, but upon overview by Kari I was told that they __wouldn't need to be detailed as we all knew them already. It's annoying to have to put all these notes in explaining the changes, but that's what I get for asking for revision comments... -Izzy_)

**Kari: **(_very confused_) "What are you guys talking about? What does any of this have to do with me?"

(_The camera during above line is looking behind the group on the balcony toward where Tai and Agumon are, in the room with the other sliding glass door going out onto the opposite side of the balcony from where the group is. We see Agumon peeking through the other glass door, then the camera changes to a split-screen again, the left side from Agumon's first-person perspective and the right side staying with the original angle._)

**Agumon: **"Someone's out there talking to Kari."

**Tai: **"Huh?" (_looks up and notices what's going on outside, opens sliding glass door and goes onto balcony_) "Kari, get away!"

**Kari: **(_confused_) "What's the matter, Tai?"

(_The right-side camera changes to a lower viewpoint, probably Gatomon's. We can see Agumon coming out behind Tai, looking fiercely in the right-side camera's direction. Left-side shows the group members lined up in a row, both Kari and Gatomon confused and somewhat surprised, Wizardmon more worried than anything else. Voice-over below overrides what would have been spoken dialouge._)

**WVO: **"Not just leader of the Digi-Destined, but overprotective big brother to boot. Thankfully, Gatomon proved me more right than I thought!"

**Tai: **(_insistent_)"Kari, you get over here! Those two are evil Digimon!"

**Kari: **"They're not evil! Gatomon has been searching for me, for me and the Eighth Digi-Destined child!"

(_At this point, we see Agumon fire off a Pepper Breath attack, which was probably intended for Wizardmon, but due either to his abilities or the "knee-jerk" nature of the attack, instead is headed for Kari. The left side camera shows the attack in flight, and Kari is pushed out of the way by Gatomon. Gatomon takes the fireball directly, vividly illustrated by the right-side camera view, which then "blanks out" while she is knocked down._)

**Tai: **"Kari, are you OK?!"

**Kari: **"Oh no, Gatomon!"

(_Editor's Note: Again, done "for the record", by Tai this time - "Was the attack stupidly reckless? Yes. Could Kari have gotten seriously hurt? Yes. Did my tone encourage him to attack? Probably. Would he have acted differently in that situation? I don't think so. So let's keep that in mind before you get too hard on him, and me for that matter. It's also worth mentioning an apology was eventually given and accepted, so it's not like there's a grudge going on because of it." - Izzy_)

* * *

><p><strong>Kari: <strong>(_walks toward Gatomon, right-side camera back on same perspective as before)_"You alright?"

**Gatomon: **(_laying flat, head up_)"I'm fine. This is nothing compared to what I've been through."

**Tai: **(_astonished tone_) "Did you see that?! Gatomon saved Kari!"

**Wizardmon: **"Now that you remember, do you understand?"

**Gatomon: **(_smiling, bright-eyed) _"Yes, I was waiting for the Digi-Destined human I belong with! That's you Kari, you're the Eighth Digi-Destined!"

**Kari: **"You were waiting just for me?!"

**Gatomon: **"I've been searching forever and ever for you!" (_she and Kari hug_)

**Kari: **(_to Tai_) "Guess what, Tai? Gatomon's my Digimon! Now I have one too!"

**Tai: **(_very confused tone_) "Don't be silly Kari, that doesn't make any sense!"

**Wizardmon: **"It makes perfect sense considering she's the Eighth Digi-Destined!"

**Gatomon: **"That's right, and I'm her Digimon. I'll always protect her, no matter what happens!"

**Tai: **(_still confused_) "Well then why we're you a part of Myotismon's army? And just who is this guy?" (_meaning Wizardmon_)

**Gatomon: **"He's called 'Wizardmon'. He put himself in great danger to bring me this Digivice. He's my friend."

**Tai: **"But how do I know if I can trust him or not?"

**Wizardmon: **(_determinedly_)"Frankly, I don't care if you trust me or not, but I'm going to stay with Gatomon as long as she needs me." (_holds out the Digivice for Tai to take_) "Here, you take the device." (_Tai cautiously takes the device_)

**Agumon: **"Why give it to Tai? It belongs to Kari."

**Wizardmon: **"She can't be seen with it. If Myotismon finds out she's the Eighth Digi-Destined and Gatomon is her Digimon, then he'll destroy Gatomon and won't rest until he finds Kari. If you have the device, the secret is safe."

**Tai: **"OK, I'll take it, but you'd better not be double-crossing us! What's next?"

**Wizardmon: **"Your sister needs her Crest. The real one."

**Tai: **"The real one?"

**Gatomon: **(_holds up her now-unneeded Crest and Tag copy_) "This was just a copy created to help find the Digivice. Myotismon is the only one with access to the real Crest. We've got to get it back."

**Wizardmon: **"Leave everything to us!" (_both Gatomon and Wizardmon turn to leave_)

**Tai: **"Wait! Where's Myotismon's hideout? We'll come with you and we can help you!"

**Wizardmon: **"No, it's too dangerous!" (_both Gatomon and Wizardmon take off, the latter holding the former underarm. Kari calls after Gatomon to be careful._)

**Agumon: **"Can we trust them?"

**Tai: **"We have to, we have no choice."

(_Split-screen "video" FF with left side view looking at Tai, right side view flying over city toward Myotismon's hideout._)

* * *

><p><strong>WVO: <strong>"So then the first and most important part of the rebellion had succeeded. En route, there was a jealous grinding up of the two Crest copies between myself and Gatomon, with the pieces dumped in the bay before crossing. She was happier than ever seemed possible, and it may have been my state of disbelief talking, but I swore she purred more than once despite the continued danger of the situation.

Without the Crest, she could not Digivolve further and thus would still be vulnerable to Myotismon cruelty. That's when things started to go wrong..."

(_Screen briefly goes black, then video resumes again, still on a split-screen. Some kind of electric guitar rhythm is playing in the background. The right side shows Wizardmon and Gatomon entering again Myotismon's lair past a Bakemon guard and searching the coffin, while the left side shows a nervous Tai and Kari watching out the balcony from Agumon's perspective. Briefly we see Agumon himself reflected in one of the glass doors, confused, nervous and a touch regretful or guilty. The right-side view abruptly switches to Wizardmon's viewpoint as we hear Myotismon's voice; the following is seen on right side only._)

**Myotismon: **(_entering area toward camera_)"What are you doing in here?"

**Wizardmon: **(_closing coffin just searched_) "Nothing."

**Myotismon: **(_holds up what he implies to be the real Crest, but is actually a copy_) "If you're looking for something, perhaps I can assist you."

**Wizardmon: **"Another copy..." (_pockets the just-found Crest; as we will eventually see, Myotismon's implication was completely false and Wizardmon now has the real Crest_)

**Myotismon: **"You think I'd leave the original lying around for thieves like you?" (_crushes the Crest copy in his hand; at this point it is assumed that it was the real Crest_)

(_Wizardmon leaps at Myotismon, who dodges out of the way and causes Wizardmon to fall flat on his face. As he gets up, we hear Myotismon talk about "those eyes" Gatomon has and how he intends to punish her and Wizardmon._)

**Wizardmon: **(_defiantly_) "How could I betray you when I was never on your side to begin with!"

(_Myotismon attacks with a _**_Grisly Wing._**_ The bats pick up both Wizardmon and Gatomon and dump them both outside. As Myotismon slowly realizes what has happened, we see Kari on the left side mouthing some kind of prayer and then Tai returning Agumon's uncertainty. Wizardmon attacks with a _**_Magical Game_**_, the lighting from that and subsequent counter-attacks by Myotismon alerting the others to trouble. As Tai and Agumon rush off, the right-side view shrinks to an inset in the lower-right corner while the left side expands to cover the rest of the screen. The fight continues in that inset while the rest of the screen shows the calvary rescue attempt._)

**Mrs. Kamiya: **(_vaguely seen through CC_) "Tai, where are you going in such a hurry?!"

**Tai: **(_rapidfire_)"Sorry Mom, I'll explain later, can't talk now!" (_both Tai and Agumon exit apartment_) "The stairs'll be faster! Go!"

**Agumon: **(_breathlessly, looking at Tai as approaching stairs_) "Myotismon must've found them!"

**Tai: **(_breathlessly as rushing down stairs_) "Either that or they got ratted out! And whatever happened it's not good!"

**Agumon: **"We need to get...!"

**Tai: **(_cuts him off_) "There's no time! And they won't believe us even if we did have the time! You may have to fight Myotismon all by yourself." (_out of stairs and running down street toward bay_)

**Agumon: **"Tai!"

**Tai: **(_irritated_) "**We don't have a choice!** Without that Crest, Kari and Gatomon will be next-to-useless against Myotismon. And we can't afford to be wrong on what they're saying now!"

**Agumon: **(_incredulous_) "So now you're believing them?!"

**Tai: **"Myotismon is the only one that could make that kind of lightning storm! And he wouldn't do it without good reason. He's already on the warpath, seeing them snooping around would immediately provoke him to attack. This wouldn't be happening if they had been lying to us!"

**Agumon: **"How do you know it's Myotismon doing it?!"

**Tai: **(_determined look into camera, near-yelling volume_) "Look, I don't! There is no way of knowing for sure what's going on out there unless we see it ourselves. But we can't afford to be wrong! It could be both worlds hinging on what we do now! I'm convinced now they're right, and we need to help them as if they were one of us already." (_the bay appears in the background_) "I know you don't like the idea of fighting Myotismon by yourself, I don't like it either. He's not like that crazy monkey we fought before. We already know what he tried to do to the rest of us, but if what they're saying is true, could you imagine how much those two have suffered, are suffering right now thanks to him?!"

**Agumon: **"I... well..."

**Tai: **"We need to bring an end to Myotismon, **NOW**. Both worlds depend on it!" (_stops near edge of __water_) "Digivolve to Greymon. You'll have to wade the rest of the way."

**Agumon: **(_after a moment's hesistation_) "Got it!" (_all but the inset flares yellow, then the majority of the screen is suddenly at a much higher viewpoint – probably a "first-person" view of how Digivolving appears to the Digimon_)

**Tai: **"Let's go!" (_the music becomes more intense as we see Tai climb onto Greymon's shoulder and Greymon begin stomping toward the island in the bay_)

* * *

><p>(<em>At this point, there is a FF and the screen splits into three sections. The left side shows Greymon's perspective, the top right of the screen shows Wizardmon's perspective and the bottom right shows Gatomon's perspective. Wizardmon is losing the battle and by now Myotismon's attacks are tossing him around pretty badly. As Greymon approaches the battle site, we see Wizardmon get picked up and tossed into the bay. The top right is CC as Wizardmon tries to surface, while the left side shows him getting thrown in the water.<em>)

**Tai: **(_calling out_) "We've come to help you, Gatomon!" (_left and bottom right are looking at each other – on each, we see the other Digimon emerge through a thin fog around the island; Gatomon calls out for help_)

**Tai: **(_to Gatomon_) "Quick, get out of the way!" (_They move out from in front of_ _Greymon, who attacks Myotismon with a _**_Nova Blast_**_, starting the second phase of the battle. The video account is consistent with what was reported by Tai and Agumon. The top right view shows that Wizardmon saw this phase while treading water, but the Myotismon-deflected _**_Giga Blaster_**_ that went into the water also knocked Wizardmon back underwater._)

(_When the battle ends, the image of Wizardmon sinking in the bay briefly fills the screen, then the video switches to a split-screen of Agumon and Gatomon looking in each other's direction as Myotismon takes her away. Finally FF on a three way split: top-left Gatomon's scared face, top-right Agumon with a stunned expression, and bottom Wizardmon sinking in the bay. FTB._)


	7. End of Line

**Part 7: End of Line**

(_TOB _"End of Line" _appears on black, with a purple Crest of Light symbol then fading in as an outline around it. Both FTB, then we hear the sound of something breaking through water, gasping for air, then breathing heavily – no visuals, just audio. The screen remains black during the following dialogue._)

**Wizardmon VO: **"All I remember after surfacing was grabbing a floating log or something like that, and then passing out. The battle had exhausted me, and I guess I just drifted through the bay over that night, passing in and out of consciousness. My entire memory of that time was scrambled, painful clips..."

("_Video_" _starts up again, showing Wizardmon floating apparently randomly in the bay. Accompanying music is similar to that used by Australian or Pacific natives and could be 'native' Digital World music, although the wind instrument is played in something like Morse Code. If it is Morse Code, it would translate into a repeated _"_SMS_"_, probably meaning _"_save my soul_" _and thus an audio manifestation of a psychic distress signal. From the first shot, we get a _"_jump_" –_ similar to that of a TV changing a channel briefly – to an image of Gatomon, then to another image of the Crest of Light before back to Wizardmon floating in the bay. A few seconds later, a second, longer series of _"_jumps", which seem to indicate he had a vague sense of what was going on._)

**Gatomon: **(_Indistinct, agonized yelling during second _"_jump_" _sequence, which includes footage of her being forced to go through Odiaba's captured children at the convention center to identify the Eighth Child to Myotismon._)

("_Video_" _back to Wizardmon floating in the bay, then the view pans to show the Myotismon-generated fog bank around his location. There is a _"_jump_" _to Gatomon, then to Myotismon's maniacal expression with a red-tinted screen, before back to Wizardmon again. He is now conscious, and pulls out the real Crest of Light, apparently to make sure it's still there. There is a few more seconds of his undirected floating, then another pair of _"_jumps_".)

**T.K. and Patamon: **(_Both of them are laughing during the brief moment of them seen in the first _"_jump_" _of the pair_.)

(_The second _"_jump_" _shows an outline of the Crest of Reliability before going back to Wizardmon floating. The view is now behind and slightly higher than Wizardmon, and a shape begins looming out of the fog. As the shape looms closer, the music begins to fade out, and we can hear Wizardmon breathing again. The _"_video_" _stops just as the shape becomes distinct enough to identify – Zudomon, swimming in the bay._)

**Wizardmon VO: **(_over a silent clip showing Wizardmon talking to Joe and T.K. and then being helped onto Zudomon's back_)"To this day, I am convinced that it was destiny and not coincidence that I was picked up in the bay by those two Digi-Destined. That debt to Joe and Gomamon is one of the few I did not have a chance to repay, and I intend to repay that debt some way should I survive this current crisis to be reborn." (_FF on Wizardmon, leaning against one of the spikes on Zudomon's shell, talking to Joe and T.K. sitting facing him_) "They asked me to tell everything I knew, so I did, riding into the blockaded Odiaba and what seemed to be my final fate."

("_Video_" _starts again, apparently later in the ride. Wizardmon is leaning on a spike, while Joe and T.K. are riding further toward the front. Patamon, who had been with Joe and T.K., flies back to check on Wizardmon, stopping to hover just in front of him. The view is behind and to the side of Patamon._)

**Wizardmon: **(_quiet but sincere, as if weakened from his ordeal_) "I am honored to fight beside you, Angemon."

**Patamon: **(_close-up on confused expression_) "Huh? But I'm not Angemon. Not without T.K. Digivolving me first."

**Wizardmon: **(_cutting between close-ups on his face and Patamon's as he speaks_) "I know that. But I call you that because it represents who you really are, the greatness you've already shown. I heard of the way you defeated Devimon, and with the power of the Crest added you will defeat greater enemies still. I sense the same greatness in her," (_i.e. Gatomon_) "some similarities perhaps... It may not be that her being the Eighth Digimon is the last surprise we will get."

(_FF on Patamon's contemplative expression during following dialogue, then _"_video_" _resumes again afterward, cutting in the same way as before.)_

**Wizardmon VO: **"Would that I could have seen how true my prophecies turned out to be!"

(_Editor's Note: This was quite fascinating, because the "prophecies" Wizardmon made were completely correct. The first one was fulfilled with MagnaAngemon defeating Piedmon, the second one in the similarities between the respective Digivolutions of Patamon and Gatomon, and the third one with Wizardmon's own sacrifice. Perhaps if we had known this when his spirit manifested later, we would have understood the warning he was trying to give then. -Izzy_)

**Wizardmon: **(_chuckles, apparently at Patamon's surprised/confused reaction_) "You must think what I'm saying is so hard to believe. But the Crest convinces me it's all true." (_pulls out the Crest of Light for Patamon to see_) "They're all three linked, the Digimon, the Digivice, the Crest. I can feel the pain, but the resistance as well. Myotismon has not won yet."

**Patamon: **"So that is the real Crest?"

**Wizardmon: **"Myotismon is a good liar in addition to a cruel master. Don't believe anything he says regarding the Crest."

**Patamon: **"OK, but... why are you telling me all this? Why me?"

**Wizardmon: **"Something that will drastically change the fate of both this world and our home one will occur as soon as we get to where Myotismon is. I don't know what it is or what will happen, so I need you to know so that you can continue my fight in case I cannot."

**Patamon: **"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

**Wizardmon: **"Just trust me... Angemon."

* * *

><p>(<em>Static on "video", then it picks up again, apparently at a different point in the transit. It shows Joe looking at Wizardmon from Wizardmon's POV. The camera changes are in the same manner as in the previous two segments of video.<em>)

**Joe: **"How are you doin'?"

**Wizardmon: **(_weakly, confused_) "Huh?"

**Joe: **"I said, 'How are you doing?'."

**Wizardmon: **"Reliability. That's a good thing to have right now..."

**Joe: **(_confused_) "You didn't answer my question. Are you sure you're alright?"

**Wizardmon: **"As long as you are supporting me, I will be fine. You will not let me down, you will not let the others down, and you will not let **her** down."

**Joe: **(_smiles_) "I'm glad to hear you have faith in me. Sometimes I don't even have faith in myself..."

**Wizardmon: **"We need faith in this darkness, this great darkness..."

**Joe: **(_looking around_) "Oh yeah, the fog bank..."

**Wizardmon: **"No. There's more to this darkness. A lot more." (_We see Joe suddenly riveted in Wizardmon's direction_.)

**Joe: **"There's more to Myotismon's darkness?"

**Wizardmon: **"Far more than you've experienced on your own. I could chill you with what I know."

(_Editor's Note: We got some idea of what he would have been talking about when Gatomon told us of the cruelties she had suffered under Myotismon. Back then, we had no idea how prodigiously broad and deep Myotismon's evil really was. -Izzy_)

**Joe: **"Really?" (_We see Wizardmon nod slowly on the video._) "Woah."

**Wizardmon: **"If I make it out of this alive, I will repay your deeds in some way. I may even merit becoming Destined myself, for all I've done in service of both this world and my own."

(_FF on Joe's face._)

**Wizardmon VO: **"It was not long after that when Zudomon reached Odaiba and there I went to my fate. I never got a chance to live up to my promise, although perhaps now I can. Joe has a brother, and I may become Destined to that brother because of what I did that day." (_FF changes to a broad shot of Fuji TV_) "You already know too well what happened that day, and I do not wish to bring those painful memories to the surface more than necessary. But I will say this. I meant everything I did with every last bit of my existence, every last thing."

(_At this point, the "video" goes into a simple montage of still pictures of the battle at the TV station with no sound or music behind them. Because details would be both superfluous and unnecessarily painful, I have opted to leave them out. One thing I will point out is that a number of the shots are from Wizardmon's own point of view, others from Gatomon's, yet others are Agumon's, and the rest are "reconstructed" broad shots. What appears to be the final verses of the poem scroll over a final, silent shot of the dying Wizardmon, alternating from Wizardmon and Gatomon's respective points of view. -Izzy_)

**Poem Verses: **_I cannot stand by/and wait while you die/you brought be back to life/so now I'd gladly die/to draw you back out/beyond any doubt/you deserve so much more/so I stand and shout/that `till my life is through/let this vow be true/I'll gladly damn myself/to save you..._

_Above my eyes I see your crying face/silhouetted against an alien sky/you know it all now, and I know you're free/there's a different pain now in your eyes/I tell you with what breath is left/what becomes of me is little concern/just stay strong, my friend, as always/this new chance is one you've earned_

_Now my sight is dim/I can't see your face/I know all to well/I'll die in this place/but it's not my life/I gave it all to you/now that you're free again/my purpose is through_

(_FTB after poem finishes scrolling, which is the same frame we see Wizardmon lying dead at the TV studio._)

* * *

><p><strong>Wizardmon VO: <strong>"But it was not the end it seemed to be. Fate had other plans for me." (_the sound of a flatline on a heart monitor is briefly heard, then replaced with the steady beep of a heartbeat; the picture comes back up to show what he is describing_) "I reemerged in a vague, cloudy white void. A pulse of energy raced through it, then more pulses, then shortly afterward a dark shadow nearby. I didn't learn the details until later, but yes Gatomon, I knew you had defeated your old master and that the sacrifice was not in vain."

(_The "dark shadow" now dominates what is presumed to be the disembodied viewpoint of Wizardmon's "spirit"._)

**Wizardmon VO: **"I knew what that shadow was too. Myotismon's ghost. I fled, or at least what could be described as fleeing, putting distance between us. I stayed far away to prevent what was left of me from being absorbed in revenge during Myotismon's resurrection as VenomMyotismon. I watched the battle and the reopening of the Digital World gate from high above the city. I would have escaped with you then, but Myotismon was still around, as you learned to your grief not so long ago."

(_We see a floating viewpoint facing a human, probably Oikawa, and see a black cloud enter his body. This would have been Myotismon's possession of Oikawa's body to survive and resurrect himself again._)

**Wizardmon VO: **"I saw this too. In that moment, I felt obligated to stay near that building you call a 'TV station'. To stay and to warn. I tried one warning, that appearance at the anniversary. I dared try no more, with Myotismon active and searching. Had he found me, he would have done worse to me than he did to his own servants, as you witnessed with BlackWarGreymon, Arukenimon and Mummymon. I do not know their ultimate fates, but I can only hope that, particularly with the latter two, that they can find redemption one way or another."

(_Editor's Note: With the business regarding the released data, we of course know that BlackWarGreymon has been reborn. Regarding the other two, Gennai had Elecmon carefully monitor two unusual eggs that appeared shortly after MaloMyotismon's defeat, then Gennai took in the Digimon that hatched from them. They seem to have scattered memories of being Arukenimon and Mummymon, but nothing conclusive. I am presuming that Gennai has taken pains to pass on this information to him. -Izzy_)

**Wizardmon VO: **"There was so much pain and suffering I witnessed in the human world, not to mention knowing something of what had happened to Ken... how much I pity what happened to you Ken, unasked and unwanted. Just like Gatomon's pain and suffering. I so desperately wanted to intervene, but knowing who was behind it I dared do nothing but watch. It pained me so much, but I am glad now that Myotismon is gone for good. I can now return, but I fear I will not be able to, due to corruption. This is why I have done what I have done here – so that there is a record."

("_Patchmon", or rather the patchwork data pattern that Wizardmon took on, appears on a black screen again._)

**Patchmon/Wizardmon: **"Gatomon, no matter what happens to me, I want you to know that even after all this time my love and concern for you is still as great as that day I lost my physical body. I'm proud of what you've become, and maybe, after all this is over, I will be able to see and touch you again. How I do not know, nor can I even begin to understand even the possibility. But it would be the most wonderful thing if I could. Hold out hope for me, Gatomon. You may yet see me again alive and well in this composite body." (_FTB for the last time, followed by 'Finis' appearing and disappearing on the screen as the very end of the video._)

* * *

><p>(<em>Addendum: Happy end, of course. Patchmon was reborn successfully thanks to our efforts, and appears to have been given the great honor of becoming a Digi-Destined himself, the partner to Joe's brother Jim. No word on the details, but Patchmon appears content to stay in the Digital World for the moment until Jim gets a D-3 and Patchmon is formally assigned to him. At the very least, this means we can see that old friend again, alive and well just as he hoped it would turn out to be. - Izzy<em>)

**END**


End file.
